SHAY GIVEN tonight goes back to the club where his career first took shape, fighting for his future at Aston Villa.

Given, once regarded as the No1 goalkeeper in Premier League, is now playing second fiddle to American Brad Guzan. But he will start tonight’s Capital One Cup semi-final first leg at Bradford City with the prospect of a Wembley date in front of him.

Given starred in Villa’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Ipswich on Saturday, making two outstanding saves, and will keep his place against League Two Bradford, who have already beaten Wigan and Arsenal in the Capital One. But he has played only two league matches this season – and none since manager Paul Lambert gave his place to Guzan in August.

“It’s great to be back,” said Given. “You miss the buzz of playing. I have played in the cups and hopefully I have done enough to play against Bradford. I can only keep reminding the manager that there’s life in me and plenty of years ahead .”

Given, now 36, went to Bradford as a 15-year-old for a trial and was asked to sign, but preferred to join Celtic. “I had my first professional trial with Bradford at 15. Theirs was the first stadium I went to when I left home in Ireland,” he recalled. “We went on tour to Germany. Frank Stapleton was the manager at the time.”

Given, who has 125 Ireland caps, has three-and-a-half years left on his contract following a £3.5million move from Manchester City in July 2011.

“These cup games are good for me. I knew early in the week I would be playing in the FA Cup and that gives you something to work for,” he said. “Bradford is a huge game, a carrot to keep working hard and pushing Brad. He has played well and it’s a tough one for the manager. But he has opted to go with Guzan. That has been very hard on me. It can be soul-destroying on a match day. I’m not used to it. Had we been knocked out in the first round of the Capital One Cup, it might not have been the same. I can’t say I’m happy to stay on the bench. I have not looked too much long-term. We will see what happens in the next few weeks. We’re one step away from a Wembley final. The manager has had me in the office a couple of times and has been supportive; there are no complaints on that front.

“Sometimes I have bad days. It’s hard to put into words...it’s difficult to keep going sometimes.”

Bradford stunned the Gunners by knocking them out on penalties in the previous round, and both Lambert and Given know they have a tough challenge on their hands.

Villa are still recovering from an awful Christmas period in which they conceded 15 goals in three defeats, including that 8-0 club-record hammering by Chelsea, but manager Lambert chose to stick with Guzan.

“You feel for Guzan, the defenders and the club when eight goals fly in. It’s a terrible result and there’s no consolation watching it,” said Given.

“We had the stuffing knocked out of us but have since had good results and can hopefully rebuild confidence.

“But this is going to be difficult. Arsenal had their full-strength team out at Bradford and lost. So if we take them lightly, we will be punished in a similar fashion.”

You miss the buzz of playing. I have played in the cups and hopefully I have done enough to play against Bradford

Aston Villa keeper Shay Given

Lambert said: “The goalkeeping situation is a hard one because the two of them are playing unbelievably well for me. Guzan has been excellent in the league and Given a different class in the cups.

“I won’t be the first and I won’t be the last to say that Given is a world-class goalkeeper. And Guzan is keeping him out of the side; that shows how well he is performing. I wouldn’t swap them for any other duo. Our club is fortunate to have two world-class goalkeepers.

“You get to the point with Given where you think, ‘He isn’t going to get beaten’. Guzan is the same.

“I never really knew how good Guzan was when I arrived at Villa. He had left the club because he couldn’t get a match, but he flew back from America to have a chat and I told him that he’d get a fair chance.